Brian Fies's Talks

Brian Fies have a talk on Tuesday class about comics’ book. He had written two comics book which called Mom’s Cancer andWhatever Happened to the world of Tomorrow. First he asked a question why it has to be comics, why he had to tell mom’s story with comics but not other media. He related comics’ book as rock music that impresses his feeling, because if you just listen to the music without pay attention to the words, you won’t feel the soul of it. Since music is just repetitive and lyrics poetry, it has to be combine for creating an emotional response. As comics book has to combine words and pictures in order to tell a story, which is other media can’t do it. In his speak; he said to be a good cartoonist you don’t necessary have to be a good writer or good artist, the point for that is the idea of what are you going to tell the audiences. You think you are good artist because you have the practiced skills or experiences, but don’t you know that there must be hundred thousand of people who are better you are, so how to make yourself to be special and unique. Which is make something that only you can do it, as Brian said the book Whatever Happened to the world of Tomorrow presenting him that is what he is, only him can do it.

Analyze a product Photoshop

Andrew said in the film Objectified that he feels designing is really the search for form, what form should the object take.

From the interview with Charles Eames, Madame Amic asked “Can the computer substitute for the designer?” Charles said probably, in some special cases, but usually the computer is an aid to the designer.

Photoshop is truly an example of aid the designer to create works. There are so many different kinds of software as Illustrator, Quartus 2, ModelSim, DSP Builder and Vectorworks, etc. Those are the method to help designer develop their works. As the most popular software Photoshop, it created by Thomas and John Knoll in 1987 and published by Adobe Company until 1990. It has been taken fourteen times to transform, the newest version is CS5. Each version has its unique logo; consumer will notice that is the newest version. The bigger improvement of the new version has improved the functions, especially compositing and select object. Here is the link from the website Youtube, it shows the steps how to use the tool to select the hair perfectly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUIcQ1nXkWk

Photoshop is a product that has been designed, but it also is a form to recreate another design works. Even though designer has a good program to help for designing, it doesn’t mean they can create good design. As the designer Dieter Rams said, “Good design should be innovative, useful aesthetic and understandable. Also good design is honest, unobtrusive, long-lived and consistent in every detail.” Design has to take many processes, and it is important to know what are the purpose and content that you want to bring to the audience. Without an idea and purpose, no matter how beautiful is the work; audience will not get the connection for it.

Form and Content: Objectified

How form and content work together to create the film “Objectified”?

The form it takes which have gave examples of different designer think of the design concept through different type of object. Visually support the viewer keep watch the film, background music is an important form which can’t leave without. It has connected an ending part to other new topic. Let the audience know the film is going to talk about other concept. Also from the title “Objectified”, we surely know it is about the design of any kind of objects.

The content of the film that analyzes designers thought, the concept and idea of what design really is. From everyday when we wake up, almost everything that we used, are all have been designed.

Andrew Blauvelt, who is a design curator, he talked about the concept evolution of design through the Japanese toothpick. A simple toothpick exists over thousand years, but the one in his hand was already improved, if you break off the top part which signified that was used, also create a tiny rest of toothpick in an aesthetics way. As Henry Ford said “Every object tells a story.” The style of the tiny toothpick created mostly because of the unique cultural content. Even through American people might use the toothpick in different ways, but the engage part of the toothpick is it expresses Japanese mind and behavior.

From the other designer Dieter Rams, he bought up a question why designer have to design? He point out good design should be innovative, useful and aesthetic design. Good design will make a product understandable, which also honest, unobtrusive and long-lived. Good design has to consist in every detail. Good design is environmentally friendly and as little design as possible.

Jonathan Lve, who is a designer in Apple Company, said when you look at something constantly. A question flow out in your mind why it is like that not like this. And that is the motive to help designing.

Design in different Terms

As we are designing, something we should think of before we get started.

First, what is the idea and impulses for create you works? What is the purpose and content that you want to bring to the audience? It is the main step in the whole design process, because design is able to bring message to the viewer. 

After that, you should think about the form, which is the best way to reveal the works. Knowing each term has their advantage, suitable term can help the viewer more understanding the design concept.

Next step is idiom, what is your style, gestures and subject matter. As creating a coffee cup, it can be so many different styles. 

Then we should think of the structure, how to put things together, what it needs and what isn't necessary have. As designing a poster, we don't want to include too much things. We just want to show the important information, which are benefit for the works. Mostly, it's better to summaries the main points and keep it neat and clear, since simple is beauty. 

After that is craft your work, applying the skill and practical knowledge. It's the time to find out the problems and solve them, getting the works done.

Last step is surface, which is the production values. Concluding all the process, can the work express the message to viewers.

A good designer has to have follow those steps, in order to create good works!

Comparison and Contrast

As doing this comparison and contrast, I did some research on the internet about different company's logo design. Here is the website include information about different famous logo. http://www.logoblog.org/logo-design-gallery/ 

I find big changers for the logo reform company was UPS (United Parcel Service), which is a famous postal delivery company in the world. 

UPS has changed its logo four times until now. The first logo was created in 1919 by designer Jim Casey. It showed an eagle carrying a package in its talon, mixing with two colors blown and yellow. It is an iconic that easy to understand what kind of company it is. As we discussed in class design is a conversation. That is exactly an example of what it means, through the icon bring out the message. 

Second Logo was created in 1937, the reason they redesigned because they changed the company name to United Parcel Service. Before that that, it's called American Messenger Company. This icon is different than the first one, which including letters in the shield with the word on the top" The delivery of merchandise for multiple retail department stores." The colors are the same, and the advantage of this since it can make the logo more stand out. Also it directly tells us the company name.

Third logo was established in 1961 by the brand designer Paul Rand.He did make a lot of changers and he did the way is totally different style. First is the color, he just did it with black and white. Simple shape with letters, but it also included the meaning of delivery. 

Lastly, the newest logo was designed in 2003 by Future Brand. The difference between this and the third logo is removed the bow on the top, to make it simple. Even though, I think it is also symbolize the image of the company, because the letters and the symbolic blown already told us what the company is. 

Differences between Art and Design

own works

Even though people think Art and Design are the same terms about creation, they are entirely different.

Design is a method of action, which is a plan that create works, showing how works to be made and how it works and looks. Design does not necessary to have to be creating new things, but it has to have a purpose for that. For example, designers try to motivate consumers to buy their products. Designer always has to communicate with their clients, knowing what they want and what they need. Design depends largely on constraint. Usually designers have to rearrange their works over times, for the sake of creating a suitable design for their clients.

Art is a skill that has a special ability, which is also personal and is self-expression. Purpose of art is a way for artists to express their feelings. Successful artists have to have a good imagination and proficient skills in order to create good works. But artists do not need to have a purpose to create their works, they can just do it according to their feelings or emotions.

own works

From both creators’ abilities, they do need to have skill, which is techniques to help for creating their works. But the most important thing for being a good artist does need to have innate talent, because that is essential for an artist to succeed. On the other hand designer don't necessary to have talent, they just need to achieve the objectives of design.

Design is an expression of the purpose and art is a way of expressing emotion. As interviewing Charles Eames about the topic “What is Design?” Charles said a good design can be judged as an art, which means a work achieves esthetics. As the Apple's computer, people buying them not only because it is functional, it also because it has a good out look. That's the reason why Apple can be successful. Although there are many gray areas between Art and Design, they are totally different discipline.

Design as Conversation

Conversation is a skill to express feeling and convey message to others.

Nowadays in the society, it is important to have good conversation skills, in order to communicate with other people and get involve to the society. Also it will help to become a successful person. Normally, people will think of linguistic is a part of the conversation. But beside then that, design is one of the bridges to communicate. Moreover, in some cases design is a stronger way than just using language to communicate and bring message to audiences. Lady Gaga is a good example.  In her VMA Awards show presented by MTV, she wore a meat dress which was full of controversy. But the reason that she was doing this because she want to bring out the message through an act, (which was bring out the message by the dress design) instead of just saying by mouth.

Design a poster for advertisement is an example of conversation; it is not only a paper work. Its purpose is to bring a message to the audience. Therefore, material conducted in the medium of drawing is required for design. As the famous artist Yoko Ono, she said that everyone is unique and different. Even though people think she did something shocking to make her special. But what she thinks is the problem isn’t come from how to become different and unique, is her way that how to share an experience and how to communicate through her works.

She made a chess set which is called “Play It by Trust” in 1966. The concept that she wants to bring to the audience is get chances to repeat the games over and over in a different ways. But how she made her chess set to stand out from different designs? Which is comes from her idea; she wants to make it simple rather than decorative. She uses this chess to represent human life. Normally, Chess is black and white, but life is not only black and white. Therefore, she choose the monotone white to create her chess, meaning is you will not recognize what is yours or what is theirs. So in this chess game, it is a way for you to convince other people who you are. Also it is a way to communicate through her design.